James and Michelle first met back in 2016 at Northern Arizona University, where fate made them next-door neighbors. What started as a friendship naturally grew into something more over time—though, according to James, he knew from the very beginning. (He told his friends on the very first day they met that he was going to marry Michelle!) It wasn’t until the very end of 2019 that they officially began dating. After college, they spent three years in a long-distance relationship, with James in California and Michelle in Arizona. Contrary to what most people say about long distance, the time apart only made their relationship stronger. After years of flights, FaceTime calls, and weekend visits, they finally decided to close the distance and begin their next chapter together in California. Three years and three cities later, James asked Michelle to marry him in Cabo, Mexico—surrounded by both of their parents and so much love. After seven years together, this has truly been a long-awaited marriage for the two of them.